Pele Says Messi Not as Good as Brazil’s Neymar

April 11, 2012 3:10 PM

Lionel Messi (R) of Barcelona is challenged by Neymar of Santos during the FIFA Club World Cup Final match between Santosl and Barcelona at the Yokohama International Stadium on December 18, 2011 in Yokohama, Japan. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

Filed under

Soccer, Sports

SAO PAULO (AP) — Pele says Lionel Messi isn’t the best player in the world today — much less of all time.

Pele said Wednesday that young Brazilian striker Neymar is better than the Argentina forward, and reiterated that he doesn’t think Messi belongs in the conversation about who is the best player ever.

That debate has long centered around Pele and Diego Maradona, but many have started including Messi after a series of outstanding performances with Barcelona.

Pele, however, said at an event celebrating the centennial of Neymar’s club Santos that “there’s always this Maradona comparison, saying that he’s better than Pele. Now some are saying that Messi is better than Pele. Well, he has to be better than Neymar first, which he isn’t yet. He has more experience.”

The 20-year-old Neymar is seen as Brazil’s greatest player at the moment.

Copyright Associated Press

http://www.livinginbarcelona.info/names-faces-san-francisco-chronicle/ Names & Faces – – San Francisco Chronicle | LIVING IN BARCELONA

[...] FC target Neymar told to move to Europe to improveCrunchsports.comKickOff -Futbolita -KMOX.comall 228 news [...]
http://insiderbrazil.wordpress.com/2010/09/28/brazilian-soccer-competition-2010-round-26/ Brazilian Soccer Competition 2010: Round 26 « Inside Brazil

[...] Pele Says Messi Not as Good as Brazil’s Neymar (stlouis.cbslocal.com) [...]
http://insiderbrazil.wordpress.com/2010/10/01/brazilian-soccer-competition-2010-round-27/ Brazilian Soccer Competition 2010: Round 27 « Inside Brazil

[...] Pele Says Messi Not as Good as Brazil’s Neymar (stlouis.cbslocal.com) [...]